Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien
Encyclopedia
Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien (born 17 March 1938) is a Scottish
Cardinal
and the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
of the Roman Catholic Church
. O'Brien is currently the only living Cardinal from Scotland.
Cardinal O'Brien is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland and heads its Conference of Bishops
. By virtue of these roles he is sometimes referred to by non-Scots as the 'Primate of Scotland'; however, no such title has ever been officially bestowed upon him and there is no precedent in Scotland for the position of primate
.
in County Antrim
, Northern Ireland
, on 17 March 1938. After primary education in Ballycastle, he moved with his family to Scotland
where his father was serving with the Royal Navy
at Faslane, initially attending St Stephen’s Primary School, Dalmuir
before continuing to secondary school at St Patrick’s High School
, Dumbarton. His family then moved to Edinburgh
, where he completed his secondary education at Holy Cross Academy, before studying at the University of Edinburgh
where he gained a Bachelor of Science
degree in Chemistry
in 1959 (and later a Diploma of Education in 1966). His studies for the Priesthood were at St. Andrew’s College, Drygrange, Roxburghshire
and he was ordained priest on 3 April 1965 by his predecessor, Cardinal Gordon Gray. Initially, serving as curate at Holy Cross, Edinburgh from 1965 until 1966, he completed his teacher training certificate at Moray House College of Education. For the next 5 years, from 1966 to 1971, he was employed by Fife
County Council as a teacher of mathematics and science; he also served as chaplain to St Columba’s Secondary School, initially in Cowdenbeath
and then in Dunfermline
, while assisting at St Bride’s Parish, Cowdenbeath.
He was then moved to full time parish apostolate in St Patrick’s, Kilsyth
from 1972 until 1975 and then St Mary’s, Bathgate
from 1975 until 1978. He served as spiritual director to the students at St Andrew’s College, Drygrange from 1978 until 1980 then as Rector of St Mary’s College, the junior seminary at Blairs near Aberdeen
, from 1980 until 1985.
created him Cardinal-Priest of Ss Joachim and Anne ad Tusculanum
on 21 October 2003.
The Cardinal was made Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 2005, appointed Grand Prior of the Scottish Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in 2001 and appointed Knight Grand Cross (KGCHS) of that order in 2003.
O'Brien was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada in 2004; awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of St Andrews in 2004 and awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of Edinburgh also in 2004.
He was Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles from 1996 until 1999 when Bishop Ian Murray took over the diocese.
O'Brien took part in the 2005 Papal Conclave
which elected Pope Benedict XVI
.
In anticipation of the 2010 visit of Pope Benedict to England and Scotland, O'Brien and Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster
, said that the crisis involving Seán Brady
, Archbishop of Armagh, over the priest Brendan Smyth
and other clerical abuse charges is one for the Irish Catholic Church and should not overshadow Pope Benedict’s visit. O’Brien and Vincent Nichols were asked whether the pope will respond to charges made against the church about clerical sex abuse during his four-day visit – the first papal visit to the United Kingdom since Pope John Paul II came in 1982.
“We do not know whether he will address that subject. We are quite a different country from Ireland, or France
or wherever else. Basically, I do not know whether he will address that particular subject,” said Cardinal O’Brien, while Archbishop Nichols said English, Welsh and Scottish bishops have “robust” rules in place to protect children.
and also a member of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.
He is currently the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland and fulfils various engagements outwith his own archdiocese at the request of other members of the Conference.
in northern Nigeria
- on two occasions. He has also visited his priests who are on loan to dioceses in Central America, having visited El Salvador
on three occasions and Chiapas
in Mexico
on two occasions, as well as going to Guatemala
.
As a director of the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF), the Cardinal has visited projects funded from Scotland in successive years: Rwanda
and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
in 2004, Ethiopia
in 2005, and Darfur
in Sudan
in 2006. During the same year, O'Brien promoted various projects in the Diocese of Moshi in Tanzania
which are supported by Holy Rood High School and the parish of St John in Portobello
. He also visited India
early in 2007, and has been invited to visit Beijing
and Shanghai
in China
and Hanoi
in Vietnam
.
, following the death of Cardinal
Basil Hume O.S.B.. Usually bishops handle this type of questions very diplomatically, if at all. O'Brien bluntly named his candidate: Father Timothy Radcliffe
, Master General of the Dominican
Order (Black Friars). At this Synod Radcliffe had made an intervention to O'Brien's heart. There is a crisis of authority going in the Church, Radcliffe had said, but the answer cannot be more emphasis on authority. In presence of the Pope Radcliffe went on: the Church should not only speak about the poor, the divorced people, women who had had an abortion, homosexuals, but also take at heart their experiences, eat their bread, take what they have to offer. 'They'll blame us being associated with the wrong people but we have a good precedent'.
philosopher Professor John Haldane, published in the Catholic Herald in October 2006, O'Brien stated that he would be "happy" if Scots voted for independence
, and predicted that independence is coming "before too long". He drew parallels with the independence of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland: "it is difficult to argue that ecclesiastical independence is acceptable but political independence is not".
who had suggested that homosexuals should not be allowed to teach in Catholic schools commenting, "I don’t have a problem with the personal life of a person as long as they are not flaunting their sexuality,". However in May 2005 he told Scottish MSPs that homosexuals were "captives of sexual aberrations", comparing gays and lesbians to prisoners in Saughton
jail. In January 2006 he criticised Westminster
MPs
over the introduction of civil partnerships in the UK, and Holyrood
MSPs over the liberalisation of divorce
laws in Scotland, and was reported as comparing gay unions to paedophilia during an intervention at the Scottish Interfaith Conference. In July 2006 he intervened on proposals to change the law to ban discrimination by businesses and public bodies based on sexual orientation with regards to adoption, calling them “totalitarian”. In 2011 he went on to blame "aggressive secularism" - in a reference to equality legislation preventing discrimination against homosexual people, he denounced what he claimed was the way Christians had been prevented from acting in accordance with their beliefs because they refuse to endorse such lifestyles.
Bill facing parliament, denouncing the government for a "monstrous attack on human rights" through its "evil" endorsement of "Frankenstein" experiments. Some scientists suggested that the Cardinal intentionally used inflammatory language to stir up opposition to the bill; however others argued he was sticking up for morals and forced the Government to allow MPs to vote freely on the issue. (Gordon Brown had originally imposed a three-line whip on Labour MPs, meaning they had to back the bill, regardless of personal convictions.)
The Cardinal posted a video on YouTube
in which he put forward his beliefs concerning the Human Embryology & Fertilisation Bill. The short video was also put on DVD and sent to every MP in parliament. In the video O'Brien makes clear that he is not against medical research — in fact he supports research with adult Stem Cells — but he is opposed to the using of child embryos which will be destroyed after experimentation. He also voiced concerns over "human-animal hybrids" in the video.
, Jim Murphy
, stated that faith was "at the very foundations of the Labour Party." O'Brien responded to this claim by saying he "welcomed the sentiment" but pointed out that "a tangible example by the Government over the last decade that it acknowledged or endorsed religious values would also have been welcomed. Instead we have witnessed this Government undertake a systematic and unrelenting attack on family values." The Archbishop went on to reveal that he had told Scottish Labour Leader, Iain Gray
, "I hope he [Pope Benedict XVI] gives you hell for what has happened over the past 10 years'." This was a reference to the Pope's visit due to take place in September 2010.
, who had spoken out against the country's blasphemy law.
has said that "in principle" he supports reforming the law on royal succession to allow first-born female heirs to take the throne and remove the ban on Catholics becoming king or queen or marrying the heir to the throne.
His comments came after First Minister Alex Salmond described sectarianism as a parasite in the game of football.
Cardinal O'Brien claimed the law amounted to sectarianism as much as chanting bigoted songs on the terraces.
after complaining of dizzy spells and fainting prior to Passion Sunday Mass
in March 2008.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
and the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
The Archbishop of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh is the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh. The archdiocese covers an area of 5,504 km²...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. O'Brien is currently the only living Cardinal from Scotland.
Cardinal O'Brien is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland and heads its Conference of Bishops
Bishops' Conference of Scotland
The Bishops' Conference of Scotland is an episcopal conference for Roman Catholic bishops in Scotland and is based in Airdrie. The conference is primarily made up of the presiding bishops of Scotland's eight dioceses as well as bishops who have retired....
. By virtue of these roles he is sometimes referred to by non-Scots as the 'Primate of Scotland'; however, no such title has ever been officially bestowed upon him and there is no precedent in Scotland for the position of primate
Primate (religion)
Primate is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. Depending on the particular tradition, it can denote either jurisdictional authority or ceremonial precedence ....
.
Early life
O’Brien was born at BallycastleBallycastle, County Antrim
Ballycastle is a small town in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its population was 5,089 people in the 2001 Census. It is the seat and main settlement of Moyle District Council....
in County Antrim
County Antrim
County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, on 17 March 1938. After primary education in Ballycastle, he moved with his family to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
where his father was serving with the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
at Faslane, initially attending St Stephen’s Primary School, Dalmuir
Dalmuir
Dalmuir is an area on the western side of Clydebank, in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland.-Location:It is neighboured by the village of Old Kilpatrick, the Mountblow and Parkhall areas of Clydebank, as well as the town centre...
before continuing to secondary school at St Patrick’s High School
Our Lady & St Patrick's High School
Our Lady & St Patrick's High School is a six-year co-educational comprehensive Roman Catholic faith school, situated in the Castlehill area of Dumbarton, Scotland. It is the only Catholic school in the region.-History:...
, Dumbarton. His family then moved to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, where he completed his secondary education at Holy Cross Academy, before studying at the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
where he gained a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
in 1959 (and later a Diploma of Education in 1966). His studies for the Priesthood were at St. Andrew’s College, Drygrange, Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire
Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh is a registration county of Scotland. It borders Dumfries to the west, Selkirk to the north-west, and Berwick to the north. To the south-east it borders Cumbria and Northumberland in England.It was named after the Royal Burgh of Roxburgh...
and he was ordained priest on 3 April 1965 by his predecessor, Cardinal Gordon Gray. Initially, serving as curate at Holy Cross, Edinburgh from 1965 until 1966, he completed his teacher training certificate at Moray House College of Education. For the next 5 years, from 1966 to 1971, he was employed by Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
County Council as a teacher of mathematics and science; he also served as chaplain to St Columba’s Secondary School, initially in Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath
Cowdenbeath is a town and burgh in west Fife, Scotland. It is 5 miles north-east of Dunfermline and 18 miles north of the capital, Edinburgh. The town grew up around the extensive coalfields of the area and became a Police Burgh in 1890...
and then in Dunfermline
Dunfermline
Dunfermline is a town and former Royal Burgh in Fife, Scotland, on high ground from the northern shore of the Firth of Forth. According to a 2008 estimate, Dunfermline has a population of 46,430, making it the second-biggest settlement in Fife. Part of the town's name comes from the Gaelic word...
, while assisting at St Bride’s Parish, Cowdenbeath.
He was then moved to full time parish apostolate in St Patrick’s, Kilsyth
Kilsyth
Kilsyth is a town of 10,100 roughly halfway between Glasgow and Stirling in North Lanarkshire, Scotland.-Location:...
from 1972 until 1975 and then St Mary’s, Bathgate
Bathgate
Bathgate is a town in West Lothian, Scotland, on the M8 motorway west of Livingston. Nearby towns are Blackburn, Armadale, Whitburn, Livingston, and Linlithgow. Edinburgh Airport is away...
from 1975 until 1978. He served as spiritual director to the students at St Andrew’s College, Drygrange from 1978 until 1980 then as Rector of St Mary’s College, the junior seminary at Blairs near Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, from 1980 until 1985.
Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh
Cardinal O’Brien was nominated archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh on 30 May 1985 and was ordained to the episcopate by Cardinal Gray, then Archbishop Emeritus of St Andrews and Edinburgh, at St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh on 5 August 1985. Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
created him Cardinal-Priest of Ss Joachim and Anne ad Tusculanum
Santi Gioacchino ed Anna al Tuscolano
Santi Gioacchino ed Anna ai Monti is a church on the Via Monte Polacco in Rome.Pope Clement XIII demolished a thirty-seven year old Minim monastery on this site in 1760 to make way for a new monastery and the present church...
on 21 October 2003.
The Cardinal was made Bailiff Grand Cross of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in 2005, appointed Grand Prior of the Scottish Lieutenancy of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem in 2001 and appointed Knight Grand Cross (KGCHS) of that order in 2003.
O'Brien was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada in 2004; awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of St Andrews in 2004 and awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Divinity from the University of Edinburgh also in 2004.
He was Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles from 1996 until 1999 when Bishop Ian Murray took over the diocese.
O'Brien took part in the 2005 Papal Conclave
Papal conclave, 2005
The Papal conclave of 2005 was convened as a result of the death of Pope John Paul II on 2 April 2005. After his death, the cardinals who were in Rome met and set a date for the beginning of the conclave to elect John Paul's successor. The conclave began on 18 April 2005 and ended on the following...
which elected Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
.
In anticipation of the 2010 visit of Pope Benedict to England and Scotland, O'Brien and Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in England. The archdiocese consists of all the London boroughs north of the River Thames and west of the River Lea, together with the towns southwest of Staines and Sunbury-on-Thames and...
, said that the crisis involving Seán Brady
Seán Brady
Seán Baptist Brady is an Irish cardinal of the Catholic Church. He is the current Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 2007.-Early life and education:...
, Archbishop of Armagh, over the priest Brendan Smyth
Brendan Smyth
Brendan Smyth was a Catholic priest who became notorious as a child molester, using his position in the Church to obtain access to his victims. During a period of over 40 years, Smyth sexually abused and indecently assaulted over 100 children in parishes in Belfast, Dublin and the United States...
and other clerical abuse charges is one for the Irish Catholic Church and should not overshadow Pope Benedict’s visit. O’Brien and Vincent Nichols were asked whether the pope will respond to charges made against the church about clerical sex abuse during his four-day visit – the first papal visit to the United Kingdom since Pope John Paul II came in 1982.
“We do not know whether he will address that subject. We are quite a different country from Ireland, or France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
or wherever else. Basically, I do not know whether he will address that particular subject,” said Cardinal O’Brien, while Archbishop Nichols said English, Welsh and Scottish bishops have “robust” rules in place to protect children.
Curial appointments
After his creation as cardinal, O’Brien was appointed a member of the Pontifical Council for Social CommunicationsPontifical Council for Social Communications
The Pontifical Council for Social Communications is a dicastery of the Roman Curia...
and also a member of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.
He is currently the President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland and fulfils various engagements outwith his own archdiocese at the request of other members of the Conference.
Missionary interest
O'Brien has always shown a keen interest in the foreign missions, having visited the territory previously adopted by his own Archdiocese – BauchiBauchi
Bauchi is a city in northeast Nigeria, the capital of Bauchi State, of the Bauchi Local Government Area within that State, and of the traditional Bauchi Emirate. The city has a population of 316,173...
in northern Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
- on two occasions. He has also visited his priests who are on loan to dioceses in Central America, having visited El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
on three occasions and Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
on two occasions, as well as going to Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
.
As a director of the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF), the Cardinal has visited projects funded from Scotland in successive years: Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
in 2004, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
in 2005, and Darfur
Darfur
Darfur is a region in western Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur...
in Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
in 2006. During the same year, O'Brien promoted various projects in the Diocese of Moshi in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
which are supported by Holy Rood High School and the parish of St John in Portobello
Portobello, Edinburgh
Portobello is a beach resort located three miles to the east of the city centre of Edinburgh, along the coast of the Firth of Forth, in Scotland. It is now a suburb of Edinburgh, with a promenade fronting on to the wide sand beach....
. He also visited India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
early in 2007, and has been invited to visit Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
and Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.
Views
Sometimes known as the "Cardinal of Controversy" O'Brien often speaks on issues close to his heart with frankness. In 1999, at the AartiEuropean Synod of Bishops, O'Brien answered whom he saw fit as the next Archbishop of WestminsterWestminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
, following the death of Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Basil Hume O.S.B.. Usually bishops handle this type of questions very diplomatically, if at all. O'Brien bluntly named his candidate: Father Timothy Radcliffe
Timothy Radcliffe
Timothy Radcliffe, OP is a Catholic priest and Dominican friar of the English Province, and former Master of the Order of Preachers from 1992-2001...
, Master General of the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
Order (Black Friars). At this Synod Radcliffe had made an intervention to O'Brien's heart. There is a crisis of authority going in the Church, Radcliffe had said, but the answer cannot be more emphasis on authority. In presence of the Pope Radcliffe went on: the Church should not only speak about the poor, the divorced people, women who had had an abortion, homosexuals, but also take at heart their experiences, eat their bread, take what they have to offer. 'They'll blame us being associated with the wrong people but we have a good precedent'.
Scottish independence
In an interview with the University of St AndrewsUniversity of St Andrews
The University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
philosopher Professor John Haldane, published in the Catholic Herald in October 2006, O'Brien stated that he would be "happy" if Scots voted for independence
Scottish independence
Scottish independence is a political ambition of political parties, advocacy groups and individuals for Scotland to secede from the United Kingdom and become an independent sovereign state, separate from England, Wales and Northern Ireland....
, and predicted that independence is coming "before too long". He drew parallels with the independence of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland: "it is difficult to argue that ecclesiastical independence is acceptable but political independence is not".
Homosexuality and Civil partnerships
Before being made a cardinal, O'Brien was regarded as relatively liberal on the issue of homosexuality, acknowledging the significant number of gay priets in the Roman Catholic Church. This even led to suggestions that he was being "disloyal" to church teaching. Following elevation as cardinal, in 2005 O'Brien rebuked Bishop Joseph DevineJoseph Devine
Joseph Devine is the Roman Catholic Bishop of Motherwell in Scotland.He was educated at St Ninian's High School, Kirkintilloch, St. Mary's College, and St. Peter's College, Cardross. He was ordained priest on 29 June 1960 at the Pontifical Scots College in Rome. He received his Ph.D...
who had suggested that homosexuals should not be allowed to teach in Catholic schools commenting, "I don’t have a problem with the personal life of a person as long as they are not flaunting their sexuality,". However in May 2005 he told Scottish MSPs that homosexuals were "captives of sexual aberrations", comparing gays and lesbians to prisoners in Saughton
Saughton
Saughton is a suburb of the west of Edinburgh, Scotland, bordering on Sighthill, Longstone, and Stenhouse. In Scots, a "sauch" is a willow...
jail. In January 2006 he criticised Westminster
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
MPs
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
over the introduction of civil partnerships in the UK, and Holyrood
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
MSPs over the liberalisation of divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
laws in Scotland, and was reported as comparing gay unions to paedophilia during an intervention at the Scottish Interfaith Conference. In July 2006 he intervened on proposals to change the law to ban discrimination by businesses and public bodies based on sexual orientation with regards to adoption, calling them “totalitarian”. In 2011 he went on to blame "aggressive secularism" - in a reference to equality legislation preventing discrimination against homosexual people, he denounced what he claimed was the way Christians had been prevented from acting in accordance with their beliefs because they refuse to endorse such lifestyles.
Politicians who support abortion
In May 2007 he urged Catholics to reject political candidates who support what he called the "social evil" of abortion, and said that such Catholic politicians should not expect to remain full members of the Church.Embryo bill
During March 2008 O'Brien highlighted the issue of an EmbryoEmbryo
An embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
Bill facing parliament, denouncing the government for a "monstrous attack on human rights" through its "evil" endorsement of "Frankenstein" experiments. Some scientists suggested that the Cardinal intentionally used inflammatory language to stir up opposition to the bill; however others argued he was sticking up for morals and forced the Government to allow MPs to vote freely on the issue. (Gordon Brown had originally imposed a three-line whip on Labour MPs, meaning they had to back the bill, regardless of personal convictions.)
The Cardinal posted a video on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
in which he put forward his beliefs concerning the Human Embryology & Fertilisation Bill. The short video was also put on DVD and sent to every MP in parliament. In the video O'Brien makes clear that he is not against medical research — in fact he supports research with adult Stem Cells — but he is opposed to the using of child embryos which will be destroyed after experimentation. He also voiced concerns over "human-animal hybrids" in the video.
New Labour
In February 2010, the Secretary of State for ScotlandSecretary of State for Scotland
The Secretary of State for Scotland is the principal minister of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Scotland. He heads the Scotland Office , a government department based in London and Edinburgh. The post was created soon after the Union of the Crowns, but was...
, Jim Murphy
Jim Murphy
James Francis "Jim" Murphy is a British Labour Party politician and is the Member of Parliament for East Renfrewshire....
, stated that faith was "at the very foundations of the Labour Party." O'Brien responded to this claim by saying he "welcomed the sentiment" but pointed out that "a tangible example by the Government over the last decade that it acknowledged or endorsed religious values would also have been welcomed. Instead we have witnessed this Government undertake a systematic and unrelenting attack on family values." The Archbishop went on to reveal that he had told Scottish Labour Leader, Iain Gray
Iain Gray
Iain Gray is a Scottish politician and the Leader of Scottish Labour Party Opposition in the Scottish Parliament. Gray was elected as the Member of the Scottish Parliament for the East Lothian constituency in 2007 having previously represented Edinburgh Pentlands from 1999 to 2003.-Background and...
, "I hope he [Pope Benedict XVI] gives you hell for what has happened over the past 10 years'." This was a reference to the Pope's visit due to take place in September 2010.
UK foreign policy
In March 2011 O'Brien called UK foreign policy "anti-Christian" for greatly increasing aid to Pakistan without requiring any commitment from the Pakistani government to religious freedom for Christians and other minorities. He made this statement in the wake of the assassination of Pakistani minister Shahbaz BhattiShahbaz Bhatti
Clement Shahbaz Bhatti , popularly known as Shahbaz Bhatti, was a Pakistani politician and elected member of the National Assembly from 2008. He was the first Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs from November 2008 until his assassination on 2 March 2011 in Islamabad...
, who had spoken out against the country's blasphemy law.
Blasphemy law in Pakistan
The Pakistan Penal Code prohibits blasphemy against any recognized religion, providing penalties ranging from a fine to death. However, in practice, it is only applied to Islam. An accusation of blasphemy commonly subjects the accused, police, lawyers, and judges to harassment, threats, and attacks...
Act of Settlement of 1701
He has called for a 310 year-old law banning Catholics from taking the throne to be repealed. Cardinal O'Brien said the Act of Settlement of 1701 was hampering efforts to curb sectarianism. Prime Minister David CameronDavid Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
has said that "in principle" he supports reforming the law on royal succession to allow first-born female heirs to take the throne and remove the ban on Catholics becoming king or queen or marrying the heir to the throne.
His comments came after First Minister Alex Salmond described sectarianism as a parasite in the game of football.
Cardinal O'Brien claimed the law amounted to sectarianism as much as chanting bigoted songs on the terraces.
Personal life
O'Brien has long been suffering from heart problems and was fitted with a pacemakerPacemaker
An artificial pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses to regulate the beating of the heart.Pacemaker may also refer to:-Medicine:...
after complaining of dizzy spells and fainting prior to Passion Sunday Mass
Passion Sunday
Passion Sunday is a name that the Roman Rite liturgy gives to the sixth Sunday of Lent, but that in the pre-1960 form of that liturgy was given to the fifth Sunday...
in March 2008.
External links
- Profile at the VaticanHoly SeeThe Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
website - Profile at the Archdiocese of St Andrews and EdinburghArchdiocese of St Andrews and EdinburghThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland. It is the Metropolitan see of the Province of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, consisting of the additional suffragan sees of Aberdeen, Argyll and the Isles,...
website - Cardinal O'Brien's YouTube video concerning Human Embryos.